Unless you are lucky enough to live within a few hours of a major cruise port, or have the spare hours, and patience to drive – most of us cruisers turn to flying to get us to our port. Here are some of our favorite tips for flying smart.
Fly In a Day Early
Rocking up 15 minutes past your cruise ship’s final boarding time will probably leave you stranded on land with a bikini-stuffed luggage, tough out of luck. Save yourself the hassle and leave room for the usual travel bloopers and delays by flying in a day early.
Keep Checking On Your Flight Even After it’s Booked/Monitor Inclement Weather
Relying on your airline to reach out to you about flight changes is too risky and often leads to unwanted travel slip-ups. Review your flight information early and regularly. The sooner you notice a change, the sooner you can contact the airline and tweak changes to better fit your travel needs. Hot tip: check the airline’s website for new options prior to calling the airline. Don’t wait for their suggestions – tell them the option that works best for you.
Reconsider Booking Flights Through your Cruise-line
Most cruise lines will offer flight and transportation packages that guarantee assistance with flight cancellations and delays. Leaving travel troubles in the hands of the cruise company seems like an attractive option for out-of-state cruisers. There are, however, some major drawbacks. For example, it leaves you with no control over air schedule and times without a deviation fee. They also cannot guarantee direct flights and cruise fares are rarely lower than published prices.
Book/Fly on Cheapest Days
Great flight deals, come with great responsibility- in spending hours scouting out the cheapest prices, that is. Here are our superhero-worthy tips for scoring the best flight deals in less time: Book immediately before or after any peak holiday to save you some serious cash. You can also save by purchasing your flight on a Tuesday at 3pm eastern time- the exclusive time when airlines release their best deals.
Sign up for discount alerts
You could dedicate hours to researching flight deals and still not be sure if you got the best price. Let an algorithm do the labor for you. Travelocity, Expedia, Orbitz, Priceline, Kayak, and Yapta have alert options that will update you on travel deals as soon as they become available. The fleeting nature of these fare deals, will make it feel like you’ve won a prize when you nab one.
Do Not Book Your Flight Home Before 12:30pm
Early bird, doesn’t necessarily always get the worm. Steer clear of morning post-cruise flights as there is a chance your ship could be delayed at the port. You run the risk of missing your flight home and, believe us, rushing to get to the airport is no way to end off your tropical getaway. If you’re cruising out of Port Canaveral, Go Port offers packages exclusively for cruisers that include everything you need from airport transportation to hotel stays and cruise transfers all for one low price.
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